comments

A trend I've noticed lately is Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs. This isn't something you would necessarily think about being related to design, since PWAs are websites that look and feel like apps (but nothing is actually on the user's device). From a UX perspective though, getting the app on a user's phone is different than going to the App Store or Play Store. The user interacts with an app icon in the same way they would a native or hybrid app, but technically it's different. Designers are going to need to think about the UX from start to finish to ensure users' feel like they can trust PWAs, and feel in control of getting them on and off their devices.

I'm currently working on a PWA, getting ready for deployment to 50,000 users. Some things I've learned that designers will have to consider are: how the product is marketed (language like "install" rather than "download), the difference in flows for Android and iOS, and some sort of FTUX that orients the user regarding device storage, "deleting" the app, etc. I'm actually using my InVision prototypes frequently when talking to clients about this concept, since our development team is busy researching feasibility (at the time I write this, PWA installation is a process that Android/Chrome guides users through. On iOS, it's a process that Safari does *not* guide the user through).